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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · bulb · march · mate · track · bank · swing · fork

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fork — in a road
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. track — a song
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. swing — music
  18. march — music
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com